Helle Church | |
Fullname: | Helle kirke |
Coordinates: | 58.8988°N 9.3706°W |
Location: | Kragerø Municipality, Telemark |
Country: | Norway |
Churchmanship: | Evangelical Lutheran |
Denomination: | Church of Norway |
Diocese: | Agder og Telemark |
Parish: | Helle |
Status: | Parish church |
Functional Status: | Active |
Founded Date: | 1981 |
Consecrated Date: | 1986 |
Architect: | Morten Lunøe |
Architectural Type: | Long church |
Materials: | Wood |
Capacity: | 200 |
Helle Church (Norwegian: Helle kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Kragerø Municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the village of Helle. It is the church for the Helle parish which is part of the Bamble prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The gray, wooden church was built in a long church design in 1981 using plans drawn up by the architect Morten Lunøe. The church seats about 200 people.[1] [2]
Around 1980, John Strand donated land for a chapel in Helle. The concrete and wood building was constructed in two stages. The first stage was designed by Morten Lunøe and it was built in 1981. It was set up as an annex chapel under the Sannidal Church parish. The building was not formally consecrated until 1986. The second stage of construction, enlarged the building by adding a church hall, kitchen, and other meeting rooms. This project was completed in 1994, with the formal re-consecration of the chapel in December 1994. In 2000, a bell tower was constructed. In 2010, the chapel was upgraded to a parish church and it was renamed Helle Church.[3]